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Home » Our Ski Resorts » Skiing in Italy » Passo Tonale

Sitting in a massive, high altitude snowy bowl, Passo Tonale really is like a winter wonderland. This is no destination for someone afraid of heights - the village is in a natural amphitheatre high up in a mountain range, surrounded by snow dusted peaks. For those wanting to escape the bustle of everyday life - Passo Tonale is a great choice.

The skiing is pretty much all above the tree line, and is best for beginners and intermediates. You'll find 100 km of skiable piste on both sides of the valley, on mainly north and south-facing pistes, often drenched in long hours of sunshine. The Presena glacier and the resort's high altitude make for very reliable snow. The wide, open sunny slopes make the perfect spot for learning, and intermediates will handle the whole mountain, as well as being able to develop their off-piste in some gentle terrain. The consistent development of facilities means quick lifts and generally few queues.

Passo Tonale is not really an expert's resort, with few challenging runs. However the resort's slopes are also connected with Ponte di Legno in Alta Vallecamonica and Temu, which have some more challenging slopes and some tree-lined runs. The glacier offers some scary blacks as well. There is a fantastic 7 km run through woods to Ponte di Legno, past local farms.

The village itself is a mix of the modern and the traditional, and as it is above the tree line it doesn't have the alpine charm of some resorts. Becoming very popular with families, it has a fun, relaxed, family-orientated vibe. There are some lively bars, but après-ski is generally low key and focused on chilled out drinks and good food. Ponte di Legno is a more traditional, beautiful alpine village that is nice to visit, but less accessible from the slopes. Most of the runs at Passo Tonale run down into the resort! There are also some lovely picturesque villages around the area to visit, with charming centres and quaint churches. This is a good value, friendly resort for those looking for a complete escape, families, beginners and intermediates looking for a relaxed, chilled out destination.

Passo Tonale ski ratings:

Beginner

Intermediate

Expert

Après Ski

Family Skiing

Snow 

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More on Passo Tonale: 

Passo Tonale for Different Ski Abilities

Beginner skiers

Passo Tonale has great facilities and slopes for beginners. There are six beginner lifts at village level, and lots of very wide shallow slopes which allow you to master the basics. From there you can move on to the many longer easy blue runs to gain confidence on.

Intermediate skiers

Intermediates will enjoy the nice long runs all over the mountain. The sweeping blues and reds of the sunny Alpe Alta and Valena slopes are a good place to kick things off. You can spend a while hear if you like cruising, trying out all the different cruisy reds. The 4.5 km run from the Nigritella chairlift is great, as is the scenic and challenging Contrabandieri.

Expert skiers

There are some fast runs in Passo Tonale. On the south side of the village the Paradiso cable car rises to 2,585m and from here there is a knee trembling black run under the cable car. Higher up is the glacier with guaranteed snow and with several ski lifts. The updated lifts mean fewer queues and more time in the white stuff. When you're feeling confident, try the slopes on the Presena glacier.

Passo Tonale Ski Schools

The ski school at Passo Tonale is widely reported to be very good - friendly, encouraging and challenging. Kids especially have found fun instructors, who they have requested again the next year.

 Après Ski and off mountain activities

 Après Ski

The après-ski scene is fairly quiet and relaxed here, with a family focus. There are some good bars to enjoy a few lively drinks at and some good restaurants and cafes. Bar Heaven at Happy Hour (2 drinks for the price of 1) is very popular, as is the relaxed El Bait and the more lively Miramonti disco bar. The restaurants serve a serve a wide range of traditional and Italian cuisine. For a sophisticated meal try Focolare or grab a pizza from El Bait.

Off the mountain 

There are a few interesting attractions near Passo Tonale, a good place to start sightseeing is Vermiglio, only a short drive from Passo Tonale. Vermiglio consists of four hamlets, which have many old buildings and churches worth visiting, including the 17th century St. Stefano Church and the 15th century Church of St. Caterina. There aren't a huge number of off-slope activities, but there are a number of walking trails to help you explore the landscape, a swimming pool, ice rink, sauna, hot tubs and good cafes.

How to get to Passo Tonale

By air

The nearest international airports are: Verona (163 km), Milan Linate (250 km), Milan Malpensa (280 km), and Venice (240 km).

By train

Take the train to Trento or preferably to Mezzocorona. From there take the Trento-Malè train to Malè. From Malè station a scheduled coach service connects the pass. From Brescia, take the train for Edolo and then continue by coach.

By car

By car, take the Brennero motorway (A22) through to Trento or to S.Michele all'Adige, then the SS 43 via Mezzolombardo, Cles, then the SS 42 which crosses the entire Val di Sole.

Those coming from the North-West (Milan - Turin) can quickly reach Passo del Tonale. In this case take the A4 Milan-Venice motorway and exit at Seriate and follow directions for Passo Tonale.